Having options when purchasing a new or used vehicle is usually a good thing, and residents could see those options increase.
The St. Mary's County Planning Commission heard a concept site plan for a new Kia and Honda automobile dealership Tuesday at a meeting in Leonardtown.
The plan would be to have a 27,242-square-foot, one-story car Honda dealership, and a 20,296-square-foot, one-story Kia car dealership that would include service areas.
The dealerships would be located on four parcels of land — 23112, 23116, 23134 and 23140 Three Notch Road in California — near the corner of Route 4 and Route 235 across the highway from the Wawa.
“We hope to be part of the St. Mary’s County community for many years to come,” Carter Myers Automotive Real Estate Director Greg Lyons said.
Carter Myers Automotive, which this year is celebrating its 100th anniversary, has 24 dealerships in three states and the Maryland location would be its first in the state.
The company, which is headquartered in Charlottesville, Va., is family and employee-owned, with employees holding 26% of the company. Lyons said the dealership would employ 77 people and 12 part-timers.
The commission approved the idea, but with several amendments, including adding an extra ADA parking space, no loading or off-loading on Route 235, and that no test drives would take place on Oak Drive, Woodland Acres Road, Potter Drive, Old Line Court or any other road or right of way in Woodland Acres or Woodland Heights.
“They have a lot more hoops to jump through apart from tonight,” planning member Lynn Delahay said. “This is just the tip of the iceberg.”
Another stipulation was allocating $18,500 toward mitigation for traffic improvements at the intersection of Route 235 and FDR Boulevard, just north of the planned site, in an attempt to draw traffic away from the intersection.
“You cannot make a left turn from FDR Boulevard onto 235, which makes it difficult to get the benefit of having that parallel road network,” Prince Frederick-based Lenhart Traffic Consulting Inc. Mike Lenhart said. “You’re forced to stay on 235 and then use the [Route] 4 and 235 intersection [to head north]. An implementation of a signal and that left turn would allow a significant number of trips to mitigate on that alternative route.”
Lenhart then read from a March 12 letter sent by the St. Mary's County commissioners regarding its fiscal 2025 transportation priorities to the Maryland secretary of transportation in which they suggested that idea.
“It will be a way to defer trips from the intersection,” Lenhart said. “Adding this light will take trips away from the intersection.
“I’m certainly not against the idea,” planning member John Brown said.
Several individuals took advantage of the public forum portion of the meeting, including Jay Armsworthy, who lives in Woodland Acres.
“We have our concerns about the new dealership,” he said. “The lights and the noise, and people cutting across our community to bypass an accident on Route 235.”
He also voiced concerns over stormwater management and resulting drainage issues, photos of which were distributed to the commission.
“I think that the dealership does bring some good competition,” Delahay said. “It sounds like you’ve tried to work things out and I know that’s not what the community wants to hear, but our hands are tied. ... When someone comes before us and meets [the requirements] we really can’t deny it.”
New members wanted
The county commissioners are seeking applications from residents who are interested in serving as a volunteer member on the planning commission, which has a vacancy. Applicants must have some business and/or planning experience.
The planning commission is charged with reviewing certain development applications and plans for consistency with the St. Mary’s County Comprehensive Plan and various provisions of the Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance. Generally, the planning commission meets on the second and fourth Mondays of each month.
To submit a resume, go to www.stmaryscountymd.gov/boards. For more information, contact Diane Gleissner at 301-475-4200, ext. 1700, or Diane.Gleissner@stmaryscountymd.gov.
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